The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1887-06-10
Da. rALMAGE's FIRST CHAR.

The time had com in my boyhood
which | thought demanded of me a capacity
to smoke. The old people Of the household
could neither abide the sight nor the smell
of the Virginia weed. When ministers
came there. not by positive injunction, but
by Il sort Of instinct as to what would be
safest, they whitfield their pipes on the back
steps. IF the house could not stand sane
titled smoke, it may be imagined how little
chance there was for adolescent cigar
putting.
By some rare good fortune which put in
my hands three cents, I found access to a
tobacco store. As the lid of the loug,
narrow, fragrant box opened, and for the
fist time I owned a cigar, my feelings OF
citation, manliness, superiority and antici-
patton can scarcely be imagined, save by
those who have had the same sensation.
When l put the cigar to my lips, and
| struck the lucifer match to the end If the
weed, and commenced to pull with an en-
ergy that brought every facial muscle to
its utmost tension, my satisfaction with
this world was SO great my temptation
was never to want to leave it.
The cigar did not burn well. Ii re-
quired an amount of suction that tasked
my determination TO the utmost. You see
that my worldly means had limited me to
a quality which cost only three cents.
But l had been taught that nothing great
was ever accomplished without an effort,
and 50 I pulled away. Indeed, | had heard
my old brothers in their Latin lessons say,
onnia rincit labor, which translated means,
if you want to make anything 60 you must
scratch for it.
With these sentiments, | passed down
through the village street, and ont toward
my country home. My head did not feel
exactly right, and the streets began to rock
from SIDE to side, so that it became rather
uncertain to me which side of the street l
was on. So / crossed over, but found myself
on the same side l was or before | crossed
over. Indeed, / imagined that | was on
both sides ct the same time, and several
fast teams were driving between. | met
another boy, who asked me why | looked
so pale. and | told him that | did not look
pale, but that he was pale himself. After
some further walking ! sat down under the
bridge near my house, and began to reflect
on the prospect of early decease and on the
uncertainty of all earthly expectations
| had determined to smoke the cigar all up,
and thus get the fun worth of my money,
but was finally obliged to throw three
fourths of it away. | knew however, ex-
aetly where | threw it, in case | should
feel better the next day.
Getting home, the old people were
frightened, and demanded of me an ex-
PLANTATION as to my absence and the rather
whitish color OF my complexion. Not feel
ing that | was called upon to 60 into par
t~iculars. and not wishing to increase my
parents. apprehension that | was going TO
turn out badly, / summed up the case with
the statement that | felt miserable st the
nil Of my stomach. Mustard plasters were
Immediately administered, and | received
careful watching Tor som hours. Finally
| fell asleep, aud forgot my humiliat IN
and disappointment in being obliged to
throw away three-fourths Of NJ first
eigar.-7. DeWM ToIaage "a Brooklyn
Naaasiae.